Searching for Significance
by Kelza
Summary: An incident occurs and both L and Raito face the devastating consequences. However, this event may prove to be the catalyst which reveals how much they truly do care for each other.
1. Prologue: Drop Dead Gorgeous R Male?

L flipped through the pages Watari had just sent him; everyone else had retired for the evening and he could finally think about something that was not directly involved with the Kira case. At first glance nothing seemed too special about this particular report. This obviously was not Kira's doing unless Kira had suddenly become a drastically different and careless person. No, each of these victims had been brutally raped, and each one had been tortured mercilessly and then killed. L was impressed that this particular killer had killed so many people in such a short span of weeks, however. 16 murders and rapes in 7 weeks… L didn't flinch when he flipped to the first grim photo. No, this was definitely not the work of the criminal-eliminating Kira…

Raito glanced at L, who seemed bored and distracted while meticulously picking up with two fingers the reports contained within the manila folder.

"Anything interesting, Ryuuzaki?" Raito asked, absent-mindedly twisting the chain linking him to L.

L didn't answer immediately and brought up his thumb to chew on as he looked at the pictures provided of each victim. Now _that _was something he hadn't noticed at first glance, and obviously no one else had noticed it either. Raito noticed when L's thumb-chewing became more fervent and he walked over to the detective, interested in seeing what had L so absorbed. Raito glanced at the picture L was holding and nearly gagged. A bloodied and mutilated face stared up at him, a look of horror and terror permanently fixed in the victim's dead eyes. The young woman's breasts had been slashed and her lower half… Raito had to avert his eyes. Surely some dignity must be given to the dead…

"Raito-kun."

L's voice snapped Raito out of the horrifying images that played through his mind of the poor woman's death. L glanced up at him, arching an eyebrow.

"Is this perhaps too much for Raito-kun's weak stomach?" L asked in his monotonous voice, offering Raito a challenge.

Raito stiffened and carefully schooled his features into a proud mask.

"Like I haven't seen a dead body before, Ryuuzaki," Raito scoffed haughtily.

L silently gazed at Raito for a few moments to the point of discomfort before returning his gaze to the photos in his hands.

"In that case," L murmured, "Raito-kun would surely be interested about this particular killer's method of killing. I seem to have detected a pattern already. Do tell me what your deductions are."

L handed the folder to Raito, who carefully read each victim's profile before flipping through the photos, one by one. Each photo made his stomach tighten in revulsion; pools of blood, ragged gashes, livid burns, broken bones, and horrified expressions seemed to scream at him from every photograph. There seemed to be no glaringly obvious pattern other than the fact that each victim was between the ages of 17 and 29 and had been raped and then tortured to death. This murderer raped both men and women and was also decidedly male considering the signs of penetration found on every victim. He had to look through the photos a second and third time before noticing something odd carved into the body of one victim.

"Ryuuzaki," Raito said abruptly before realizing that he had not lost L's attention while looking through the folder. "Er… well, I happened to notice something rather… odd on this man's collarbone. See here-" Raito pointed to a spot on the man's bloodied torso "-there seems to be the letter 'D' carved into his skin…"

Raito's voice trailed off as he glanced at L. The detective was gazing at him solemnly with his dark-rimmed eyes and didn't need to look at the picture to know exactly what it was that Raito was talking about. Raito's mind went blank for only a moment as the dark-eyed man's intense stare bore into him, as if expecting him to produce more evidence that wasn't so painfully obvious to the genius detective. Raito quickly glanced back at the photos and began examining each one with a new interest. Sure enough, on every single victim he found a new letter on different parts of the bodies. An 'A' on the side of the forehead… an 'L' on the right knee… Raito could now see a blatantly obvious pattern and cursed his own ignorance for not catching it immediately as L had. Papers shuffled quickly as Raito flipped back and forth, matching each picture to its designated profile. Raito's eyes narrowed in concentration as he stared at dates of death and matched names to faces:

_Aiko Iowai – Female_

_Date of Death: February 24_

_Age: 21_

_Ethnicity: Japanese_

_Occupation: University Student_

_Bingwen Cho – Male_

_Date of Death: February 27_

_Age: 29_

_Ethnicity: Chinese; Japanese_

_Occupation: Bartender_

_Chiharu Migame – Female_

_Date of Death: March 2_

_Age: 17_

_Ethnicity: Japanese_

_Occupation: High School Student; Waitress_

The list of profiles went on, including each of the 16 victims. Yes, several evident patterns were now clear to Raito.

"Ryuuzaki," Raito began, setting aside some photos and papers, "This killer… alphabetizes his victims."

L stared at the younger man for a moment longer, his stomach twisting in an odd, anxious way, before answering.

"Yes, that should not have been too hard to realize if you observed each victim's photo carefully and noted the name and date of death as well," L responded monotonously. "And if you haven't yet realized, he has also formed a gender pattern in his rapes and killings, starting with the young Ms. Iowai, then Mr. Cho, and forming a female-male system from there. Therefore, since his last victim was Mr. Philipp Zaki, the Japanese-German pre-medical student, we can safely assume that his next victim will be a female with a name beginning with the letter 'Q.'"

Raito raised an eyebrow as he stared at the letter 'G' carved into Gina Hotori's left hip. This case was pathetically absurd… How obsessive could one killer get? Then again, dealing with Kira's insane criminal killings had certainly raised his standards of murdering obsessions.

"So, we can conclude several things from this information alone…," Raito mumbled, half to himself. "This rapist is, indeed, a male. He preys on young and attractive men and women, keeping a distinct gender pattern in his killings. He also specifically chooses people based on the letter their first name begins with, creating an alphabetized list of victims. Lastly, he carves the first letter of the victim's first name into a part of his or her body."

L looked decidedly uncomfortable as Raito listed the killer's habits. Raito glanced at L who fidgeted in his seat.

"Is there something you need, L?" Raito asked the smaller detective, using his one-letter alias. "I think Watari may have left some cake in the kitchen if you're in need of sugar…"

L simply gnawed on his thumb and scrunched his eyebrows together in deep thought as Raito eyed him warily. Frankly, Raito was surprised that the single word 'cake' had not snapped L out of his reverie. Finally, Raito sighed and flipped through the profiles yet again.

"It appears that nothing can be done about this unless we go out and track him down… or at least try to find someone who would fit the profile for his killings and-"

"No!" L nearly shouted, startling Raito.

L stood abruptly. A wild expression danced in his eyes as he began gnawing on his thumb even harder than before.

"…Excuse me?" Raito asked, a look of disbelief painted across his perfect visage.

"No," L replied in a much softer tone, sitting down again in his usual fetal position, wrapping his arms around his legs. "I do not want Raito-kun to go out looking for this killer. According to my calculations, once this killer claims his next victim, there is a 61% chance that Raito-kun could be the next target. I would not want that to happen."

By this point L's voice had trailed off into a whisper and a look of pain flashed across his eyes, as if the prospect of losing Raito was too much for him to comprehend.

"How do you presume that?" Raito asked suspiciously, not noticing L's artfully concealed expression.

"After this killer claims his next victim, let's call her… 'Q-female,' he will look for a new target according to his gender and alphabet system," L explained, his tone becoming much more business-like as he collected himself. "Therefore, the next victim after 'Q-female' will be 'R-male.' Raito-kun's name begins with 'R,' and Raito-kun easily fits the victim profile considering his age, gender, and… attractiveness."

"W-what? Attractive?!" Raito spluttered, blushing slightly, obviously taking note of the last word L had quietly uttered.

"Yes, Raito-kun is quite attractive," L responded to Raito's outburst absent-mindedly, seemingly not fazed in the slightest. "However, my main point is that there is a strong chance that Raito-kun will be targeted as 'R-male' if he carelessly and openly walks about in public. I simply do not want Raito-kun to be hurt."

Raito wrinkled his nose, trying to think of a deprecating response. However, he had to admit that L had a point; he _was_ Raito Yagami, after all, and he was drooled after by women and men alike.

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Raito sniffed as L narrowed his eyes in confusion and honest disbelief. Raito was actually going to _heed his advice_? "I am drop dead gorgeous. I'm glad to hear you finally admit that you agree with me, Ryuuzaki."

L groaned inwardly in frustration. Yes, Raito-kun was incredibly attractive and L wished he could fu– _No!_ That wasn't the point! Raito-kun should _not _know that! And he shouldn't be having those thoughts… Grumbling, L flipped the manila folder closed as Raito gathered his papers together at his desk.

"Why did I suggest _chaining_ myself to him? Am I insane?" L muttered to himself as he sipped the last of the sugary slush in his coffee mug.

"Did you say something, Ryuuzaki?" Raito asked the detective, an oblivious expression on his face as he turned to look at the pale man.

"Just questioning my sanity," L mumbled dejectedly into his mug.

"Hm?"

"Nothing, Raito-kun… nothing at all…"


	2. Chapter 1: I Wanna Hold Your Hand

Raito felt incredibly sluggish and uncomfortable as consciousness slowly crept through him.

'Neck hurts… Hard pillow… Urgh…' his mind managed to ineloquently comprehend as he was still half asleep.

He had partially woken from another dream involving a particularly pale and panda-eyed detective and his body had, as usual, reacted to it in a rather embarrassing way… Why did he keep having these dreams? He had never felt anything for anyone before… until now, at least. Perhaps it meant nothing, and the racing of his heart was only induced by his physical discomfort and woozy mind.

Raito could feel himself start drifting off into sleep again with these emotions coursing through him. His back and neck muscles ached when he realized that he had fallen asleep hunched over on his cold, hard desk. No wonder he hadn't felt the soft comfort of a pillow beneath his head… He lifted his head slightly, his mind still foggy and unable to form terribly coherent thoughts, and felt the brush of cool linen beneath his cheek. Raito shifted slightly to see L pushing a pillow under his head. The office was still dark, and the clock on the wall silently ticked away the early morning hours. No wonder he felt so drowsy; it was still only two o' clock in the morning. Before his mind could process what he was doing, Raito reached out and curled his fingers around the pale hand still situating the pillow beneath his head.

L froze when he felt Raito's warm hand slide into his. What was this? The younger man had promptly fallen asleep after his innocent display of affection for the older detective. Raito's head was now comfortably buried in the pillow on his desk and his fingers were wrapped firmly around the detective's right hand. Still sleeping deeply, Raito pulled L's hand closer to his face, murmuring unintelligibly. L could feel Raito's warm breath on his fingers and stiffened, mostly in surprise. This was highly unusual for Raito-kun, possibly decreasing the young man's percentage of being Kira by 2%, though L found himself wishing that the younger man's actions had been performed consciously and not in a possibly meaningless display while sleeping.

After many more minutes Raito was still sleeping contentedly and L had remained by his side, now sitting in a chair that had been in easy reach. Other than turning a few inches to grab the chair and then sitting down, L had hardly moved since Raito had fallen asleep again. He found himself in a trance as he followed the younger man's rhythmic breathing, and he traced the back of Raito's smooth hand with his badly bitten thumb. So was this what happiness felt like? L decided that he had never felt so calm and content before; he wished the feeling could remain. Suddenly, he reached out with his left hand and brushed Raito's auburn hair with the tips of his fingers, careful to silence the chain attached to the handcuff around his left wrist. So _soft_… L surprised himself as he gently buried his hand in Raito's silken locks, softly brushing away the stray strands that fell in front of Raito's face. And then, without any forethought, L leaned across the arm of his chair and gently kissed Raito's cheek, strands of auburn hair tickling his nose when he inhaled Raito's sweet, clean scent.

Almost as soon as he realized what he was doing L jerked back, his chair squeaking slightly and his heart racing wildly. Raito shifted slightly in his sleep and L broke out in a cold sweat. Had he woken Raito with that kiss? Or what if Raito had been awake all along? L breathed a silent sigh of relief as Raito mumbled something, squeezed L's hand, and fell back into his slow rhythm of breathing. L's heart thumped erratically as he contemplated his own actions.

'Why did I do such a thing?' he wondered to himself, bringing up his left hand to chew anxiously on his thumb. 'Now I feel as if I have taken advantage of Raito-kun while he slept… I can't make sense of this at all… Perhaps I am ill. Yes, that must be it; I have merely been afflicted with a fever which has raised my blood pressure and has put me into a state of delirium. There, a perfectly excusable explanation for my actions… but why do I not feel any more consoled…?'

The clock's hour hand inaudibly ticked three times as the rest of the early morning was spent in near silence, the only sound being that of Raito's deep breathing. At exactly 5:49, Raito began to stir again, his fingers unconsciously tightening on L's hand. L's eye twitched slightly as Raito's grip on his hand became vice-like. The auburn-haired teen groggily opened his eyes, not yet moving his head from the pillow. He saw L sitting next to him, not yet realizing that the pale hand he held belonged to the same dark-haired man.

"Good morning, Ryuuzaki," Raito mumbled passively, even as the blood threatened to rush to his cheeks in what would have been an obvious and, in L's opinion, adorable blush.

"Good morning, Raito-kun," L responded monotonously, revealing nothing of his actions while Raito had been asleep. "I presume you slept well."

Raito nodded curtly and began to pull his hand up to run his fingers through his hair when he realized that something was inhibiting his movement. He looked down and saw that his hand was grasping the pale fingers of the detective sitting next to him. Wide-eyed, he looked at L, who seemed uninterested with the situation. Raito dropped the detective's hand as if it were a hot coal that had been burning him. L simply took his own hand back, relieved when he felt the blood rush back to his formerly numb fingertips. Raito abruptly shoved the pillow towards the corner of the desk and glared half-heartedly at L. Why was he angry at L? Maybe he was just angry that he had been holding L's hand and L seemed unfazed? Raito's glare faltered and he looked away, defeated. L observed this and nibbled on his thumb, his curiosity piqued. A few moments passed with no movement or sound from either man before Raito finally cleared his throat nervously.

"Sorry… about that, Ryuuzaki," Raito muttered, obviously uncomfortable with apologizing to L for that embarrassing action. L simply tilted his head to the side, an innocent expression on his face, and pushed himself in his swivel chair towards his end of the long desk.

At that moment Aizawa, Matsuda, and Soichiro entered the office, each looking equally exhausted. Raito breathed a silent sigh of relief that the three older men had arrived after his embarrassing episode. He tried to act as if nothing had happened as he turned on his computer and sorted his papers on the Kira case. He noticed a manila folder nearby and realized that it contained the report that Watari had given L last night. He knew L would be too preoccupied with the Kira case to delve much further into the 'Alphabet rapist's' case, but Raito _wanted_ to solve it. For some reason he desperately wanted to get rid of the scum that had so brutally murdered these innocent people. And he wanted to prove to L that he could unravel the case and catch the criminal on his own, _without_ L's help.

Raito glanced towards L and noticed that the older detective was turned away from him, all of his attention now on a particularly scrumptious looking piece of strawberry shortcake that Matsuda had probably brought for him. Perfect, he was completely distracted. Raito glanced at the manila folder again, contemplating. L had made it clear that he didn't want Raito to actively pursue this killer. But surely L wouldn't notice that it was gone. With that thought, Raito smoothly took the folder into his hand and placed it among all of his other papers and files.

At that moment, L looked up from his strawberry shortcake loaded with cream and shifted his eyes over each member of his 'personal task force' in turn. Soichiro was talking to Watari through the intercom, presumably asking the old gentleman to e-mail him a certain document he needed; Matsuda spoke animatedly and with excitement over the prospect of being assigned as MisaMisa's new manager, even though it would be a temporary position and was suggested to benefit the Kira case; Aizawa held his head in his hands and was most likely wishing Kira would kill him, or, preferably, Matsuda, as Matsuda's peppiness permeated the formerly silent and sleepy atmosphere of the office. Finally, L rested his gaze on the youngest member of the group. Raito was completely immersed in his work, looking up from his notes every now and then to glance at something on the computer screen.

L enjoyed observing Raito. It was one pastime that quickly put him at ease, and that morning had him more enthralled with the younger man than ever before. Through his observations he had taken note of Raito's quirks and habits and he spent his time while Raito was sleeping trying to figure out what each habit signified. For example, when Raito was frustrated or angry he would tap his pen or pencil against his desk or fingers, or if he didn't have a writing utensil on his hand he would immediately cross his arms or bury a hand in his auburn hair. When Raito was excited his face would light up and he would sporadically twist his fingers together as he walked in long, brisk strides. And when Raito was anxious or worried he would bite his bottom lip.

Raito chewed on his lower lip as he stared at his computer screen. L hadn't noticed anything, had he? The detective always seemed to be particularly observant when it came to him, and his annoyingly affectionate display this morning would probably only cause L to pay even closer attention to him. No doubt L would say that it had increased Raito's percentage of being Kira by some ridiculous amount. Ugh… he _hated _being a suspect. He could rightly assume that every time L looked at him he saw a 'potential Kira,' not Raito Yagami. Raito wished it could be different. Perhaps solving the new case concerning the 'Alphabet rapist' would increase L's respect for him and decrease his chances of being Kira. Raito frowned in concentration and began intently looking at his notes on the Kira case. For now he needed to appear completely immersed in the Kira case. If L discovered his plan then all of Raito's efforts to please and impress L would be futile and he would be right back where he started: a number one suspect and the object of L's suspicion, not his compassion.

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**Note from Bei-chan: **My thanks extends to anyone and everyone who has read both the prologue and the first chapter of my first L and Raito fanfiction! And I especially thank the people who have reviewed this story as well! I greatly appreciate your support and patience as I have been a bit slow in uploading this chapter. I truly hope you all enjoyed this chapter and continue to read as I add more chapters!


	3. Chapter 2: What Happiness Feels Like

**Note from Bei-chan: **Hello everyone! I am so very, very sorry that it has taken me this long to update this story, but, finally, here is Chapter 2! I do appreciate reviews, and I thank all of you who have read and/or reviewed already as well as those of you who have added this story to your favorites list! It means so much to me! I do hope you all continue reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter of _Searching for Significance_!

* * *

Crap. Crap, crap, crap. Raito Yagami cursed his own ignorance as he impatiently pretended to seem immersed documents pertaining to the Kira case. What had made him think he could pursue the Alphabet rapist, aka 'Raito-don't-you-even-think-about-working-on-this-case,' without L knowing, or at least suspecting? He was freaking _chained _to the man! Well, this just sucked.

Raito buried his hands in his hair and suppressed a groan of frustration. He would never be able to do anything if he couldn't get away from L for even five minutes! And there was barely an infinitesimal chance that L would let Raito stray loose for more than one minute at best. The corner of the manila folder peeking out from his other papers seemed to tease him as if saying 'Well, Raito, you're certainly an idiot and now you'll _never_ prove yourself to the genius detective. I guess he'll always be better than you.'

Raito clenched his jaw, restraining himself, and, for the most part, appeared reasonably composed to most observers. Within his mind, however, he was currently smashing his head against a virtual desk.

L stared at Raito, aware that the younger man was on the verge of screaming in the agony of frustration. Perhaps Raito-kun needed to go to the bathroom? Or perhaps he was jealous that L had pudding and he didn't? As this alarming thought crossed his mind, L pulled his large bowl of pudding closer to him, shoveling a heaping spoonful of the chocolaty goodness into his mouth at the same time. Out of habit, L narrowed his eyes in delight and relaxed considerably as the rich taste of the pudding filled his mouth. Yummy…

After he had swallowed the spoonful of pudding, L's expression became impassive, guarded, and depthless once again. He continued to contemplate Raito Yagami. Perhaps… perhaps Raito was still dwelling on the incident that had happened that very morning, not even twelve hours ago. Of course, L was not thinking about that event at all. It hadn't even crossed his mind. No, of course it was of no importance whatsoever… L mentally slapped himself, wishing he could will his own mind to shut up every once in awhile. He would possibly have to confront Raito about the issue if the younger man's odd behavior persisted. It was doubtful that any of the other men had noticed anything strange, but none of them was particularly observant either. They weren't observant as L, at least. Or they weren't observant as L when it came to Raito.

L closed his eyes and silently sighed. Wasn't he supposed to be trying to catch a mass murderer right now? L opened his eyes again, searching the computer screen for a clue that he knew was not there. They had found no recent leads on the mass murderer known as Kira. During Raito's confinement the killings had continued, and they still continued, even as Raito was under constant surveillance from L, the world's three best detectives, himself. Surely this was evidence enough to prove that Raito was not Kira… but L still had a hunch. And L's hunches were not disregarded.

Perhaps he should give Raito a break, though. Maybe… unchain him for a day so he could spend some time in the outside world as a normal teenager, or at least visit his family without having L tag along? L's thought processes came to a halt. What was he thinking?! There was a reason he had chained himself to Raito and he intended to have their situation remain the same for the time being. Besides the fact that Raito might in fact be Kira, L was also worried that other dangers may present themselves if Raito were to wander around unsupervised. Dangers that would result in Raito getting hurt. No, L would no longer let himself consider unchaining Raito. L did wonder if his resolve would waver if Raito begged him for permission to wander for a day, however. L suppressed a sigh. Sometimes he wondered if he spent too much time thinking about the younger man.

Raito glanced at L and blushed when he noticed that the older man was staring at him. He quickly looked back at his computer and sat quietly for a few moments, unmoving. Could this day possibly be any longer? He glanced at the clock on the back wall of the office. 7:19 P.M…. He supposed it was late enough to send the other men home for the evening. He doubted anyone would object to being let out. He yawned widely.

"All right, everyone…," Raito began, stretching his arms above his head. "Let's call it a night, shall we?"

Raito could practically feel the relief and exhaustion each man felt at his words. Only L stared at him, his perpetual blank expression directed towards him. Raito pretended to not enjoy the attention he was receiving from the pale detective.

"Thanks for letting us out a bit early tonight, Raito," Aizawa said, smiling and clapping a hand on Raito's shoulder before leaving.

"Yes, ah, thank you very much, Raito!" Matsuda said soon after, his dopey grin stretching across his face before he, too, left.

Finally, Soichiro packed up his belongings as well and passed Raito on his way to the hallway.

"I'll see you tomorrow, son," the older man said, smiling fondly at Raito.

"Say hi to mom and Sayu for me, will you?" Raito replied, returning the smile.

"Of course, you know they miss you very much, Raito. Good evening, L," Soichiro left after his farewell to L, who was still sitting in the same position in his chair.

Once Soichiro had left, Raito returned to his chair, placing his arms on his desk and resting his head on his arms. He caught a final glimpse of the pale detective several feet away from him before his eyes fluttered closed. Raito could feel himself start drifting off to sleep and it vaguely occurred to him that sleeping at his desk two nights in a row wasn't the best idea. No sooner did Raito begin to slip into sleep when a monotonous voice spoke very close to his ear.

"Perhaps Raito-kun should sleep in his bed tonight."

Raito flinched in surprise when he realized how close L was. He opened his eyes again to find L standing less than a foot away from him, the detective idly playing with the chain that linked him to Raito. Raito sighed and brought his head up, rubbing his eyes to wake himself up a little more.

"A bed sounds good right about now," Raito muttered to himself, pushing himself out of his chair.

L stared at Raito as the younger man stacked his papers neatly and placed them in a folder before carefully stowing them away in a small file cabinet beneath the desk. He knew he probably shouldn't ask, but the incident that morning had been nagging at him all day…

"Raito-kun…," L began, making sure Raito had his attention. Raito glanced up at him and he continued. "I am not quite sure of what importance this is to you, but I am afraid that it has been bothering me all day… What exactly compelled you to… hold my hand this morning?"

L's heart sped up nervously as he awaited Raito's answer. Raito didn't know that L had kissed him on the cheek while he slept… perhaps it was better if he didn't know… What was he so anxious about? Why was this so important anyway? The whole event probably meant nothing to Raito; perhaps he had only been dreaming! With these thoughts running through his mind L's self-confidence began to waver and he hunched over a little more, now dreading Raito's answer. The auburn-haired teen would probably only laugh at him, scorning him for actually making anything of the simple gesture.

However, instead of laughing, Raito simply gaped at L, his mouth hanging open. The expression on the teen's face might have actually been amusing to L if he hadn't felt quite so worthless at the moment. Of course, L did not see Raito's expression as he fixed his large, dark eyes on the floor, shamefully wary of meeting Raito's eyes. The two men stood in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, Raito in shock and L in self-contained misery.

Raito's mind was reeling in confusion as he contemplated L's question. So, L was actually at least curious as to the meaning of that morning's event. Raito's heart thumped wildly in his chest. What was he supposed to tell L? That he took comfort in his presence and wasn't quite at ease when he wasn't there? That he thought everything the detective did was adorable and couldn't help himself? That he just wanted an excuse to be closer to the man he found so very intriguing and attractive? Raito bit his lower lip. Or should he lie and say he had been dreaming? That he had thought L was Misa? What a blatant lie _that_ would be… Raito's thoughts spun out of control and his emotions flared. What was he supposed to say?! Before Raito could open his mouth and proclaim his first excuse, L peeked up at him with large, dark eyes. Raito's heart nearly broke at the insecurity and concealed pain he saw etched in the detective's features and his impulses took over.

Before contemplating his decision and the repercussions and consequences it could have, Raito leaned in, tilting L's head up to look him in the eye. L's eyes widened comically as Raito's lips descended upon his in a gentle but passionate kiss. Raito nearly groaned at the sensation of having L's lips on his. How he had _dreamed_ of doing this! L didn't kiss back however, he was in too much shock to even move, though his brain could register that Raito's was kissing him and that, yes, it felt good.

The kiss ended almost as soon as it had begun and L found himself wishing he had responded in some way to Raito's kiss instead of sitting there like a dead fish. L raised his hand to his trembling lips and gently touched them, the sensation still lingering. At that moment, Raito seemed to have realized exactly what he had done and became beet red.

"Oh… God… L, shit, I'm sorry, I didn't mean -"

Before Raito could complete his sentence L launched himself towards him, capturing the younger man's lips. L's thoughts did not turn to Kira even once as he made up his mind to correct his mistake. Right now, he was with Raito, not a Kira suspect. This time it was Raito who was in shock, but he quickly responded to having L's lips on his. His eyes fluttered closed and he returned the kiss eagerly, his lips molding to L's perfectly. L tasted like coffee and sweets and Raito could already tell that L's taste would become his addiction. L breathed in sharply through his nose as shocks of pleasure traveled up his spine. He buried his hands in Raito's hair and moaned against his lips, causing Raito to pull him against his body. Raito groaned when he pulled L's warm body against his and broke his lips away from L's to lightly kiss L's ear.

"You have no idea… how long… I've wanted to do that… to you…," Raito managed to murmer breathily between kisses.

L simply whimpered in response while clutching at Raito's silky auburn locks. He shivered in delight when Raito's cool breath tickled his ear. Raito placed his lips on L's again and gently kissed the detective, tracing the smaller man's bottom lip with the tip of his tongue. L gasped slightly when Raito broke the kiss. Raito had never seen the detective look as sexy as he did now with his cheeks flushed, his eyes half-lidded, and his lips swollen from their kissing. Nothing needed to be said as Raito took L into his arms, one hand on the small of the detective's back and the other buried in his thick, dark hair. L closed his eyes and sighed, resting his head on the taller man's shoulder. Neither of them knew how long they had stood holding each other before L finally spoke.

"I can't believe we did that," he murmured against Raito's shirt, slightly embarrassed.

Raito grinned and stuck his nose in L's dark hair, inhaling his scent. He smelled like strawberries…

"I can't believe we didn't do that sooner," Raito murmured quietly in response, gently running his fingers through L's soft hair.

L smiled and hugged Raito closer to him. Yes, this was what happiness felt like.


End file.
